The editors of this publication thank the authors of the papers presented at the Second FAO Expert Consultation on Interactions of Pacific Tuna Fisheries. The authors are to be commended for bearing with our stream of requests for clarification and changes. We are especially grateful to the scientists who took time to carefully referee the papers presented at the Consultation. Evidence of this contribution is reflected in the extensive revisions to the papers originally presented at the Consultation.
The Consultation was made possible through the close cooperation of tuna fisheries researchers not only in the Pacific region, but also in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions. Funds for the organization of the Consultation were provided by the Government of Japan. The National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries hosted the Consultation in Shimizu, Japan. Technical expertise, data, computer facilities, and funds for preparatory work, and for the Consultation itself, were contributed by many institutions, especially:
· Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Hobart, Australia)The national research laboratories in many countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific also contributed significantly to the work before and during the Consultation.· FAO/UNDP Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
· Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (La Jolla, California, USA)
· International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Madrid, Spain)
· Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Developpement en Cooperation (Noumea, New Caledonia)
· National Marine Fisheries Service (La Jolla, California and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)
· National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries (Shimizu, Japan)
· Southeast Asian Fishery Development Center (Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia)
· South Pacific Commission (Noumea, New Caledonia)
· South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (Honiara, Solomon Islands).
The Food and Agriculture Organization and the editors are grateful for the fruitful collaboration resulting in this publication. Special thanks are extended to the host of the Consultation, the National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, and to the local organizers, Drs Ziro Suzuki, Sachiko Tsuji and Tsutomu Nishida of the Institute.
The editors acknowledge the assistance and encouragement of the staff of FAO’s Fishery Resource Division, Fisheries Operation Service and the FAO/UNDP Indo-Pacific Tuna Programme in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and particularly of Dr Alejandro Anganuzzi, Mr David Ardill, Dr John Caddy, Mr Mike Doeff, Ms Joan Harris, Mr Andhi Isarankura, Dr Yasuhisa Kato, Ms Christiane Lagrange-Hall, Mr Mike Mann, and Ms Giulia Sciarappa-Demuro. Also, we would like to thank Ms Françoise Schatto-Terribile of FAO Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Unit for her editorial and logistic help in bringing this document to the publication stage Mr Manlio Cappucci (The Looking Glass Factory) designed the cover of the publication, for which we are thankful.
